A new-found confidence over the well-handled Covid-19 crisis found its way into Budget 2021. This is reflected in three aspects of the budget. One, the finance minister ignored suggestions to tax the rich with a higher surcharge or a Covid-19 cess. Two, the government has gone for growth with a large push on capital spending. Three, the FM has cleaned up the balance sheet of the government and removed the anomaly of using off-balance sheet items to show lower borrowings.
